Chocolate Coffee Cake

Chocolate Coffee Cake was one of the first cakes that I baked for my husband. We loved to share a piece of cake over a cup of coffee on the evenings after a busy day at work.

Baking is all the more fun when you do it together with your family. And, we did it together. Responsibility divided between the three of us - my husband , my cousin and myself.  My cousin made his debut at baking a cake, me the actor and my husband the director. The cake definitely fared well at the box office:)

Here is my recipe -

Ingredients

1. All purpose flour - 2 cups
2. Sugar - 1 and 1/2 cup
3. Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup
4. Baking Powder - 1 tsp
5. Salt - 1 pinch
6. Milk - 1/2 cup
7. Oil - 1/2 cup
8. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
9. Coffee powder - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
10. Eggs - 4
11. Hot water - 1 cup

Method

Prepare coffee decoction in a cup of hot water and let it cool.

Sieve the all purpose flour, cocoa powder,salt and baking powder to avoid lumps.

Separate the egg yolk and the egg whites. Beat the white until fluffy. Beat the egg yolk along with vanilla essence. Add in the sugar and oil and mix it well. Add the coffee decoction and milk to this.

Pour this into the sieved flour and fold in the batter . Finally add the egg whites and fold in well until combined. Mixing it any further may cause air bubbles in the batter.

Pre heat the oven at 180 degree for 15 minutes. Grease a cake tin and pour the batter into it. Place this inside the oven for 30-40 minutes until an inserted pin comes out clean.

Remove from baked cake from the oven and shift it onto a cooling rack.

Serve it hot with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Onion Garlic Fried Rice

Every alternate Wednesday was reserved for our dinner outings to our favorite restaurant. I had two reasons to wait for this day - I did not have to study that day and I could have my favorite Fried Rice. I have tried to make Fried Rice several times but never quite liked it as much as this recipe.

Easy to make with easily available ingredients and hence a must try for everyone. As always its a family favorite because it is easy to make.

Ingredients

1. Basmati Rice - 2 cups
2. Cardamom - 2
3. Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
4. Bay Leaves - 2
5. Cloves - 2
6. Onion - 3 sliced thinly
7. Garlic - 4-5 cloves chopped
8. Cashewnut - a handful
9. Raisins - a handful
10. Soya sauce - 2 tsp
11. Pepper powder
12. Sugar - 1 tbsp
13. Spring Onions 
14. Oil
15. Salt

Method

Boil water along with salt and ingredients listed from 2 to 5.

Add washed Basmati rice to this and cook. Make sure you do not overcook it. Drain off excess water and remove the whole garam masala added. 

In a skillet, heat oil and fry the cashewnuts and raisins. Keep this aside.

Toss the sliced onion and garlic into this oil. Saute it till cooked, add salt, pepper powder and sugar. Saute it for another two minutes and add soya sauce.

Add Basmati rice into this and mix well. Keep it covered for another 5 minutes on low heat.

Garnish with spring onions and serve hot with your favorite curry.

Kundapura Chicken Curry/ Kundapura Koli Saaru

Kundapura Chicken Curry is a traditional chicken preparation popular along the coastal belt of Mangalore - Udupi - Kundapura region. It is an excellent accompaniment for kori rotti, sanna , neeru dosa and rice as well.

So that is another jog down the memory lane.
Takes me back to Brahmavar and the tastes of Brahmavar which I grew up to love. It's not just the food but also the special people in my life who cooked this for me. My two akkas Geetha akka and Sabitha akka who took care of me and my sister just like their kids. I am sure Geetha akka is still waiting for me to get home to prepare her special dishes.

Here I have the recipe of Kundapura Chicken for you -

Ingredients

1. Onions - 2 chopped
2. Tomato - 1 chopped
3. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
4. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
5. Coconut milk - 1 cup
6. Chicken - 1/2 kg
7. Oil
8. salt to taste

For the paste -

1. Ginger - 1 tsp chopped
2. Garlic - 1 tsp chopped
3. Cinnamon sticks - 1 inch stick
4. Cloves - 5 to 6
5. Whole pepper - 1 tsp
6. Coriander seeds -  2 tsp
7. Red Chilly - 4 to 5
8. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Preparation 

Dry roast the ingredients 1 to 7 under for the paste for 2 minutes. Add the grated coconut and dry roast till the coconut becomes dry. Let this cool for a while and wet grind this to a paste.

In a separate pan, heat oil, Toss in cumin seeds, curry leaves and fry for a minute. Add the chopped onions and tomato. Saute till the onions turn slightly brown. Now add the chicken and the paste. Pour sufficient water, bring it to a boil and reduce the flame. Keep it covered and let it cook.  Once the chicken is cooked, add coconut milk bring it boil and switch off the flame.

Whats special about Kundapura koli saaru is that it goes along well with almost anything. Be it rice , dosa, idli or even chapati.

You may also note - 

• Do not over roast the dry ingredients. 
• Add coconut milk, only if you need more gravy.

Mathenga Vanpayar Erissery

Just done with Onam shopping. The crowd at Lulu, here in Dubai was beyond compare. Brands - Nirapara, Eastern, Brahmins, Double Horse setting up their own counters with special Onam discounts and goodies. Phew!! That was one hell of a time wading through alleys with the pushcart avoiding getting hit and making sure you don't hit anyone. I guess that is the joy of this festival. 

Onam is that festival that brings together malayalees irrespective of religion. Onakkodi, Pookalam, Payasam, Sadya and all malayalees together whether in India or outside - that is Onam.

Today's post is my mother - in  - laws recipe. A dish that I really love - Erissery made with mathenga and vanpayar.

Here is the recipe - 

Ingredients

1. Onion - 1 small sliced
2. Garlic - 2 pods sliced lengthwise
3. Green Chilly - 2-3
4. Coconut - 1 cup grated
5. Jeera/ Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Mathenga/ Pumpkin - 1/4 kg diced
8. Vanpayar - a handful
9. salt to taste

For tempering 

1. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
2. Shallots - 2 sliced
3. Grated coconut - 2 tsp
4. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Curry Leaf - 1 sprig

Method

Pressure cook vanpayar with a little salt and keep it aside.

Toss in mathenga, onion, garlic and green chilly into a heavy bottomed pan. Add sufficient amount of water and bring it to boil on high flame. Reduce the flame and let it simmer till the mathenga is cooked. Mash this with a spoon to form a paste.

Wet grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds and turmeric powder and add this to the mashed gravy. Pour in water if necessary and let it cook for another 10 minutes.

Add vanpayar and season it with sufficient salt.

In a skillet heat coconut oil - toss in the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add shallots and grated coconut and fry till the color changes to brown. Add the chilly powder and curry leaves and pour over the erissery.

Serve over rice with a dash of ghee for Onam.

Vendekka Mezhukkupuratti/ Lady's Finger Stir Fry/ Okra Stir Fry

Vendekka or Lady's finger has never been my favorite vegetable. I found it quite slimy and difficult to eat. Marriage makes you do things that you never thought you would.
Yes, I do cook Vendekka now and eat it as well because my husband loves it. What my mother could not do in years my husband managed in months! That's what marriage can do to you:)
No regrets!

Here is a very simple recipe for you this Onam straight from the USA. Safeera is a college mate of mine who sent across this recipe and managed to click some impressive pictures as well using yam leaf plucked from her backyard instead of banana leaf for a change.

There you go -

Ingredients

Vendekka/ Okra/ Lady's Finger - 1/2 kg
Tomato - 1 chopped
Onion - 1 chopped
Green Chilly - 1 to 2 slit
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Coconut Oil
Salt to taste

Method

Slit the vendekka and cut into 2 inch long pieces.

Pour the oil into a skillet, add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add curry leaves and green chilly. Saute it and toss in the vendekka, tomato, onion and salt.

Cook it covered for about 10 minutes.

There it is your Lady's Finger Stir Fry.

You may also note -

• Wash and pat dry the vendekka before you slice.

Ishtu - potato paalu curry

When I was on the lookout for Onam recipes, it was Vineetha who suggested Ishtu. I had no idea that this was an Onam dish that is pretty popular in the Thrissur region. It is quite fascinating to  note that same dish is called by different names with very slight variations in the recipes. Had I not begun a quest of Onam recipes may be I would not have known either.

Oh I forgot to introduce Vineetha - she is my TALL friend - yes I mean it literally. One thing I hate doing with her is posing with her for a photograph - so my height is left to your imagination. She is miles across in Brisbane and is currently busy shopping for Onam. This is a recipe from her kitchen.
I miss you Vineetha and there goes your recipe -

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 medium diced
Onions - 2 medium sliced
Ginger - 1 inch piece finely chopped
Green Chilly - 2 slit
Coconut Milk - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Coconut Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Add the potatoes, onions, ginger and green chilly to a pressure cooker with water and required salt. Pressure cook it to 2 whistles.

Once the pressure is released, you can mash a few pieces of potato and put it back into the gravy.This thickens the curry.
Next add the coconut milk and bring it to a boil.Cook it on a low flame for a few more minutes till it becomes thick.
Finally add the curry leaves and drizzle some coconut oil.

Simple is it not? So why not make this a part of Onam Sadhya this year.

Sambhar

Sambhar is a traditional South Indian dish. I am not sure which state it belongs to - Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu seems to have adapted it as per their flavors and taste. It adorns the banana leaf for the festivities in each of the states. Sambhar is a popular dish for Onam as well and again the taste differs from the north to the south of Kerala. Here is an easy recipe for Sambhar, if you are hunting for one. 

The recipe was sent by Vinitha, my cousin. She is a wonderful cook, probably inherited our grandmother's cooking traits. We have had our fair share of cooking experiments together during the summer vacations at school.

Here is the recipe she has for you - 

Ingredients

Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Kaayam/Hing/Asafoetida - 1 small piece
Onion - 1 sliced lengthwise
Lady's Finger - 4 sliced
Potato - 2 medium sized sliced
Brinjal - 1 medium size sliced
Carrot - 1 sliced
Green Chilly - 2 slit
Tomato - 1 medium sized sliced
Tamarind - 1 lemon sized ball
Sambhar powder - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste


For Tempering 

Mustard seeds -1/4 tsp
Red Chilly - 2
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Shallots/Sambhar Ulli - 2 tsp chopped

Method
Pressure cook the dal with salt and turmeric powder.Soak tamarind in warm water for about 15 minutes and strain the water. Keep this aside.In a skillet, heat oil and saute the kayam for a minute and then add the onions. Once the onions are slightly cooked, add all the vegetables except tomato . Saute it for few minutes and pour the excess water from cooking the dal into the vegetables and let it boil on low flame covered. Add a little bit of salt and turmeric powder to the vegetables. While it begins to boil, add sliced tomato, cooked dal and the tamarind water. Let it boil. Add the sambhar powder, mix well and let it boil. Once the potato is cooked, switch off the flame. In another pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter, add shallots, saute it well till translucent. Then add the red chilly and curry leaves. Pour it onto the hot sambhar and mix it well.Yummy yummy sambhar ready!

You may also note - 

• Add any veggies as per your choice. Each veggie may have a different cooking time, so you may add the vegetables one after the other. I also love using drumsticks and cucumber in my sambhar.
• It is a great way to have lot of veggies at one go.
• Avoid pressure cooking the veggies, it may get overcooked.